Just wanted to share a great article posted the other day over at Eating Disorder Hope’s blog talking about how men are affected by and cope with eating disorders like Binge Eating Disorder. Great analysis of why men don’t seek help for their problems due to stereotypes men themselves have about this help. I recommend all guys take a quick read.

EDNOS stands for Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (See Wikipedia Article). This is an interesting ABC Nightline report on people who fall through the cracks and are not formally diagnosed with a single eating disorder because they don’t meet specific diagnostic thresholds. Up to 12M women apparently have this disorder.

Binge Eating and Binge Eating Disorder are very common eating problems that affect both men and women. People who suffer from Binge Eating Disorder frequently overeat and the problem feels uncontrollable. Asking “what is binge eating” is not a simple question — it can be very challenging to overcome.

What Is Binge Eating — Beyond Overeating

Binge Eating and Binge Eating Disorder go far beyond overindulging in an occasional meal or two. People who suffer from Binge Eating Disorder regularly eat large amounts of food at one time (far beyond a normal meal) and usually do it when they are alone and possibly feeling a bit down.

The Quit Binge Eating Podcast. Show number one. What is Binge Eating Disorder and who is Alen Standish? The origin story. [iTunes Page]

Summary

In this episode of The Quit Binge Eating Podcast, we go into detail on Binge Eating Disorder and then give a little more background on Alen’s past eating problems. We wrap with our Tip of the Week and share our contact information at QuitBingeEating.com.

If you already read my story [Click Here to Read My Story Now] you know that I used several different techniques and personal improvement approaches to finally stop binge eating. After going the first month without a single binge I reflected on why I was finally successful and how my new strategy was working for me. I drew it on a sheet of paper and taped it to my wall. Since I’m also a nerd I immediately saw how this strategy was the same general strategy I used when I played tower defense video games (my favorite). That kept me motivated and I practiced the strategy daily to keep from binge eating again.

I’ve continued to use the tower defense strategy to this day. I’ve remained almost completely binge free (I’m not perfect either) and I’m getting physically healthier bit by bit each month. Since it’s been working so well for me I thought I would share it with everybody else. I took the time to slightly update my original drawing and explained each piece of it in detail below. I’m sharing it in hopes that it might help others who are struggling with or who are also recovering from Binge Eating Disorder.

Like everyone else I have struggled with my own personal problems and issues. That’s part of being human, right? But one major problem I had took almost 15 years to resolve — conquering my Night Eating Syndrome, a form of Binge Eating Disorder. My name is Alen Standish and this is my story.

How It All Began

As a kid I constantly struggled with my weight. I always thought of food as a comforting friend, especially when I was stressed. I was a perfectionist and when things weren’t perfect I became anxious and would constantly snack and eat large portions at mealtimes to make myself feel full and content. I obviously didn’t have good eating habits.

Just like everything in life, beginnings are always the hardest. For authors, writing the first paragraph of the first chapter of a book can often take as much energy as writing that entire first chapter or two. For athletes, getting motivated to start the first workout of the new season can be incredibly difficult. It’s easy to understand why many people give up before they ever begin — it just feels too hard and overwhelming. But believe me, this is a beginning you want to start. When trying to stop binge eating, the toughest challenge is recognizing the disorder for what it is and trying to come up with a plan that will cure yourself.